Vacuum cleaner



y 23, 1942- E. NIELSEN ET AL 2,291,250

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 1, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 28,1942- E. NIELSEN ETAL VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 1, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1111677201732 7Izmwe een y 19452- E. NIELSEN ETAL VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 1, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lq kflIZDABIJOWRSZ' Enanae/ m2. mg

mama July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Emanuel Nielsen and Arthur W. Seyfried, Racine,

Wis., asslgnors to Scovill Manufacturing Com- D Connecticut Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Application February 1, 1941, Serial No. 878,984

3 Claims. (01. 15-16) This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and particularly to a portable cleaner provided with a tiltably mounted, counterbalanced motor-nozzle unit in which the nozzle automatically ad- Justs itself relatively to the surface to be cleaned.

It is desirable to adjust the nozzle vertically v with respect to the surface to be cleaned, depend-.

ing on the thickness and character of the surface, in order to .place the nozzle into position for eflicient operation without being pulled down too closely to the surface to be cleaned.

Another object is to providemeans for counterbalancing the weight of the handle in its vary ious operative positions. We have found that types of surfaces to be operated upon, by the .pro-

vision of a motor and nozzle unit pivotally' mounted on a transverse axis, the weight of the unit rearwardly of the .pivotal mounting exceeding the weight forwardly thereof, together with the provision of yielding counter-balancing means tending to urge the forward portion of the nozzle toward the surface to be cleaned but without permitting excessive sink of the nozzle, and means for counterbalancing the weight of the handle and dust bag and its effect on the nozzle position when the handle is being moved relatively to the cleaner.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, in the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale than Fig. l.

' Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cleaner, as viewed from the plane of the line 33 on Fig. 5.

4 is a plan view of part of the nozzle-motor unit supporting means, partly insection, in the plane of the line' 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevationoi the cleaner, showing the handle and dust bag in lowered position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the .plane of the line 6-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken in the plane of the line l'| of Fig. 4.

,Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail shown in Fig. 6.

In that embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the cleaner comprises an integral motor casing l0, fan housing II and suction'nozzle l2. A handle l3 provided with curved spread apart arms It is fixedly mounted on the square ends I5 of a shaft I beneath the motor casing 10 and retained by nuts l6. Said shaft i5 is pivotally mounted in a pair of apertured lugs H which depend rigidly from the motor-nozzle unit. Thus pivotal movement of the handle it relatively to the cleaner results in rotative movement of the shaft IS. A clip l8 having a-= slot I9 to receive the pin 20 on one ,of the arms H is mounted for limited sliding movement on said arm E4 of the handle so that the clip can :be moved into and out of position to contact with a stop 2! fixedly secured to-one side of the motor-nozzle unit. In its upward position, the clip [8 clears the stop 2| and allows the handle to be moved downwardly to the fullest extent.

A dust bag 22 is detachably secured to the nozzle i2 and to the handle is in a conventional The nozzle l2 has a. brush 23 rotatably mounted adjacent the mouth of the nozzle which is partially closed by a removable shield at which is adapted to glide on and'move smoothly over the surface to be cleaned. The shield and size of the openings therein, defining the mouth of the nozzle, are designed to coact with the nozzle supporting means to. control the degree of sink of the nozzle relatively to the carpet surfaces.

At each side of the. nozzle, rearwardly. of the nozzle mouth, are casting extensions 25 in which are rigidly mountedgenerally S-shaped membars 26. The members'Zt provide vertically disposed walls between which are rotatably mounted the wheels 2?, 2i and 28, 28, on short fixed shafts 2%, 29, 3t, 38, respectively. The shafts as, it are in alignment with each other and the shafts 3d, 381 are also in alignment with each other, out are located slightly rear-wardly of the shafts 29. The wheels 2?, 28ers thus rotatably mounted in the nozzle, their axes being fixed and so located that the treads of thewheels extend slightly below the edges of the walls of the nozzle l2 and normally ina plane about 1 5 inch berearward portion were not supported 'as hereinafter explained, said rearward portion would automatically drop, the unit would pivot about the axis of the shafts 30, '30, and the forward or mouth portion of the nozzle would be raised.

The wheels 21 would also be raised. However,

the excess weight rearwardlyoi the shafts 30 has been counterbalanced in such manner that the nozzle is almost constantly being supportedvby both sets of wheels 21, 21 and 28, 28.

The counterbalancing means just mentioned comprises a rear wheel-carrying plate 3| having the shaft 3! and plate fl and through an aperture in the upturned end 40 of the plate 3|.

The function and effect of the spring 3648 is to urge the plate ii and wheels 34 away from the motor casing III; in other words, to raise the motor casing relatively to the surface on which the device is standing and to counterbalance the greater weight of the rearward end of the unit. Another function is to cooperate with the shaft II on which the handle arms I are fixed, to urge the shaft to rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, so that the handle will be retained normally in a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. l.

Another function of the spring 38-48 and parts to which it is connected is to counterbalance the weight and leverage of the handle I! when it is moved from its perpendicular position to one of several positions it may occupy in the operation of the cleaner. This involves not only the handle, per 'se, but also the dust bag which, when inflated and the handle is in downward position, as when operating under furniture, pulls-the nomle portion upwardly. To prevent the weight and leverage of the handle and attached dust bag from unbalancing the pivoted unit. we have provided the-spring 38 connected to the shaft I! so that as the handle is moved downwardly, rearwardly, the shaft it rotates and the spring becomes coiled more tightly about the shaft, placing additional tension on the end 38, resulting in extra. tendency to raise the motor casing l and to keep thenozzlefl in efllcient operative position on the surface to be cleaned.

The provision of two sets of wheels in the nozzle, located in different vertical planes, is a preferred'feature of construction which aids in controlling the degree of sink resulting from the suctional effect of the operation of the cleaner, andwhich also facilitates smooth gliding of the nozzle over uneven surfaces. It is desirable to have wheels as far forwardly or close to the nozzle lips as possible to insure easy operation, but if the wheels are relatively far forwardly of the the leverage weight of the handle and dust bag in their varying operative positions, is the essential feature of our invention, which results in a cleaner capable of cleaning bare floors as well as light. medium and thick rugs with equal ease.

Changes made he made in details of construction without departing from the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor and nomle unit, a handle pivotally connected to said unit, means pivot supporting the motor and nozzle unit, the aid unit. being heavier rearwardly of said pivotal supporting means than forwardly thereof, means supporting and movably connected with the rearward portion of the unit and means operatively connected to the I handle and to the rearward supporting means yieldingly counterbalancing the weight of the unit and the leverage weight of the handle in its different operative positions, said counterbalancing means comprising a transverse shaft to handle-pivot, there is too great a tendency for v the nozzle to be raised on the forward stroke. The tendency of the nozzle to rise on the forward stroke varies, being influenced by the resistance the floor covering offers to the cleaner on the forward stroke, and by the distance between the pivotal mountings of the handle and the cleaner.

' nozzle unit. pivotally mounted for self-adjustment, and having means for counterbalancing which said handle is rigidly connected and a spring connected at one end to and coiled on said shaft, the other end of the spring bearing on the said means supporting the rearward portion ofthe motor and nozzle unit.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor and nozzle unit, a handle pivotally connected to said connected to the handle and to the rearward supporting means yieldingly counterbalancing the weight of the unit and the leverage weight.

of the handle in its different operative positions, said means supporting the rearward portion of the unit comprising a plate pivotally connected to the motor portion of the unit and wheels rotatably carried by the plate rearwardly of said pivotal connection, and'said counterbalancing means comprising a transverse shaft to which said handle is rigidly connected and a spring connected at one end to and coiled on said shaft,

the other end of the spring bearing on said. rear wheel carrying plate.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor and I nozzle unit, a handle pivotally connected to said unit, means pivotally supporting the motor and nozzle unit, the said unit being heavier. rear- "wardly of said pivotal supporting means than forwardly-thereof, means supporting and movably connected with the rearward portion of the unit, and spring means between the rearward supporting means and said unit and operatively connected with said rearward supporting means and handle for counterbalancing the unbalanced weight of the unit rearwardly of the pivotal supporting means when the handle is in substantially perpendicular position, said counterbalancing means being automatically placed under increased tension when the handle is moved rearwardly and downwardly, whereby its counterbalancing effect is enhanced to compensate for the added weight disposed rearwardly of the pivotal supporting means for the unit.

EMANUEL NIELSEN. ARTHUR W. SE'YFRIED. 

